CVE-2025-22176 is an improper authorization vulnerability identified in Atlassian Jira Align, a tool used for enterprise agile planning and portfolio management. The flaw allows users with low-level privileges to access endpoints that should be restricted, resulting in unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, specifically audit log items. Audit logs typically contain records of user actions and system events, which can reveal operational details and potentially sensitive metadata. The vulnerability affects Jira Align versions 11.14.0 and later, including 11.14.1, 11.15.0, 11.15.1, and 11.16.0. The weakness arises from insufficient access control checks on certain API endpoints or UI components, permitting low-privilege users to bypass intended restrictions. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required beyond low-level user (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and limited confidentiality impact (VC:L), with no impact on integrity or availability. No known exploits have been reported, suggesting the vulnerability is not yet actively exploited. However, the exposure of audit logs can facilitate attacker reconnaissance, help in identifying security controls, or assist in crafting further attacks. Atlassian has published the vulnerability with a medium severity rating and is expected to release patches or mitigations. Organizations using Jira Align should prioritize evaluating their exposure, especially if they rely on audit logs for compliance or security monitoring.

For European organizations, the unauthorized access to audit logs can undermine security monitoring and compliance efforts, potentially allowing attackers or malicious insiders to gain insights into system activities and user behaviors. This could facilitate lateral movement, privilege escalation, or evasion of detection in subsequent attacks. While the direct impact on confidentiality is limited to audit log data, the indirect consequences could be significant if attackers leverage this information to compromise other systems or data. Organizations in regulated sectors such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure may face compliance risks if audit log confidentiality is breached. The medium severity rating reflects the moderate risk, but the ease of exploitation (no user interaction, low privileges needed) increases the threat level. Given Jira Align's use in agile project and portfolio management, disruption or data leakage could also impact business operations and strategic planning. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the need for timely remediation.

1. Apply patches or updates from Atlassian as soon as they become available to address the authorization flaw. 2. Conduct a thorough review of user roles and permissions within Jira Align to ensure the principle of least privilege is enforced, minimizing low-level user access. 3. Implement enhanced monitoring and alerting on access to audit logs and sensitive endpoints to detect anomalous or unauthorized access attempts. 4. Restrict network access to Jira Align instances using segmentation and firewall rules to limit exposure to trusted users and systems only. 5. Regularly audit and review audit log contents and access logs to identify suspicious activity early. 6. Educate administrators and users about the risks associated with improper authorization and encourage prompt reporting of unusual system behavior. 7. Consider additional compensating controls such as multi-factor authentication and session management improvements to reduce risk of unauthorized access. 8. Engage with Atlassian support or security advisories to stay informed about any emerging threats or exploit developments related to this vulnerability.